International Online Conference: Facebook Revolutions? The Role of Social Media for Political Change in the Arab World

International Online Conference: Facebook Revolutions? The Role of Social Media for Political Change in the Arab World

Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom invites you to its International Online Conference „Facebook Revolutions? The Role of Social Media for Political Change in the Arab World“.

WHEN? September 19-30, 2011

WHERE? http://fb-revolutions.fnst.org (free of charge registration)

WHAT? The Online Academy features interactive tools such as forum discussions, collab rative documents, video statements and video chats.
HOW? Working languages of the conference are English and German. Parts of the programme that will take place in real time will not be translated into German.

Nine months after the beginning of the Arab Spring the international online conference „Facebook Revolution?“ tries to take stock. What is the role each of the media has played in the transition process in Arab countries? Do they promote democracy, freedom of expression and free access to information? Do they bring about a new diversity of opinions and media? Is the role of social media being overestimated or possibly assessed even dangerously wrong?

Bloggers from Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco and Syria will speak about their activities and motivations. International experts from politics, media and science will be available for discussion.

Keynote speakers include:
(in order of appearance)

Dr. Werner HOYER, Minister of State in the German Federal Foreign Office
Alexander COUNT LAMBSDORFF, Member of the European Parliament
Dr. Ronald MEINARDUS, Regional Director Middle East and North Africa, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom
Julia GERLACH, Journalist from Cairo
Ethan ZUCKERMAN, Director of the MIT Center for Civic Media and founder of GlobalVoices Online and Geekcorps
Dr. Sandro GAYCKEN, Free University of Berlin
Christian RICKERTS, Reporters Without Borders
Loay MUDHOON, Political- and Islamic scientist and journalist
Markus LÖNING, German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid)

The conference is being held in close cooperation with politik-digital.de and Social Media Week Berlin. On September 21, we will be streaming live from the panel „Around the Blocks – Activism in Censored Countries“.

For more information and free registration please visit: http://fb-revolutions.fnst.org

To stay up to date follow the Online Academy on:

Facebook (http://facebook.com/virtuelle.akademie)
Twitter ( http://twitter.com/virtualacademy) #fbrev

Founded in 2011, the Online Academy is the first virtual academy for political education in Germany. In the field of E-learning the Academy offers a variety of formats and tools, among others: online-seminars, international online conferences, seminars for political management, online panel discussions, videochats and videostreamings. In 2005 the Academy was awarded the European E-Learning Award eureleA.

Online Academy / Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit
Katarzyna Odrozek
Karl-Marx-Straße 2
14482 Potsdam
katarzyna.odrozek@freiheit.org
+49 (0)331. 7019- 192
http://www.virtuelle-akademie.de